


forced apart by time and sand

by MollyRenata



Series: the sun, the moon, the fool and the lovers [3]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, Polyamory, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26729269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyRenata/pseuds/MollyRenata
Summary: Absence makes the heart grow fonder - Yu and Rise connect, while thinking of their missing pieces.
Relationships: Kujikawa Rise/Minazuki Sho, Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Minazuki Sho/Narukami Yu
Series: the sun, the moon, the fool and the lovers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937416
Kudos: 5





	forced apart by time and sand

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't obvious, this takes place after chapter 23 of "break out of your head". The title is a reference to a song I was fond of when I was younger.

* * *

The end of summer was always a difficult time for Yu. He felt more at home in Inaba than in the city, and once he graduated from high school, he'd considered for a time the possibility of just staying there; it was certainly a viable option, as there were plenty of opportunities there that wouldn't _require_ a higher education.

In the end, though, that wasn't what he _wanted._ After some pondering, and a few long conversations with his best friend, Yu made plans to enter college - with a brief layover period, just to avoid burning himself out. He returned to the city, and tried to ignore the void in his heart that leaving Inaba always created.

That town was where he had met his dear friends, and the Dojimas were more of a family to him than his parents ever were. Nanako's heartache lessened with each departure, but she still clearly missed her big bro, and uncle Dojima's stern kindness was something that Yu had come to crave. Perhaps it wasn't healthy for him to seek recognition so fervently, but it made him feel as though he _belonged._

The one big positive of returning to the city was that Rise lived there, too. While her career kept her busy, she always found time for her relationship with Yu, and the two often went out together - while keeping a certain _other_ pair in mind. Getting in touch with them was difficult, due to their chosen path, but they still maintained contact whenever able.

Thinking about them only made Yu miss Inaba even more. He had met and bonded with those two there, though the circumstances of their meeting were rather... _dire,_ and accommodating their unique needs was more of a challenge than anything else Yu had ever faced - not that he would have it any other way, of course. He loved them both, and wanted nothing more than to see them again.

Only a week had passed since he'd moved into his new apartment, and already Yu found himself lost in reminiscence. Rise and Yosuke had helped him move in, the latter after a rather difficult attempt at getting some time off; though he intended on going to college himself, Yosuke had decided to continue his part-time job when he could, with the eventual goal of saving up enough money to live on his own. It was ambitious of him, and Yu almost envied his best friend's forward thinking.

As he sat in his new residence, watching the traffic on the nearby street from the window, Yu's thoughts turned to the missing link in his life. Sho Minazuki was a mysterious person, if only for his very unique existence - as a result of an experiment performed on him when he was a child, a second soul inhabited his body, and the two of them worked in tandem when they had a goal in mind. He had been lonely and bitter for a long time, but after meeting Yu, the course of his life had changed for the better... and Yu had learned a few things about _himself,_ too.

He still struggled with those feelings from time to time. Before a certain series of events, Yu had been _completely_ confident in his sole attraction to the opposite sex, and his relationship with Rise, to him, only proved it further; when he fell in love with another boy, it threw him for a loop, and while he never _denied_ those feelings, the whole thing _did_ have an impact on his confidence. The worst part was that how he felt toward Yosuke hadn't changed, and he had reason to believe that his best friend felt a little same-sex attraction himself-

The doorbell rang, and Yu pulled himself out of his seat to answer it. Rise had spent a large chunk of the day practicing for an upcoming gig, and she was fortunate enough to have the evening off - something she always took advantage of when it happened, and she had texted him earlier to let him know that she would be coming over.

Almost as soon as he opened the door, Yu was greeted by a tight hug from his girlfriend. He had to gently push her off of himself so that he could close the door, but he pulled her into a proper embrace afterward - he always found her presence soothing, and savored the moments they spent together.

"Good evening," Yu greeted Rise, as he pulled back to look at her. "How are you?"

Rise answered him with a bright smile, and her arms tightened around him. "I'm a little tired, but it's okay. I still get to spend time with you, Senpai..."

It was a little odd that she continued using that honorific for him now, but Yu accepted it as just another quirk of hers. She was just as affectionate with him now as she always had been, almost to the point of clinginess - though, all things considered, he didn't _mind_ that. He knew she had her reasons for feeling that way, and so he never tried to push her away.

"Did you already eat dinner?" Yu thought back to his time spent in the Dojima household, and how he had often helped with meal preparation; there was something comforting and _pleasant_ about cooking for those he loved, and he already missed it.

"Yes, I ate just before I came here." Rise looked apologetic - she knew about Yu's love of cooking for others. "I _wanted_ to wait until now, but..."

She trailed off, and Yu understood without her explaining further. Someone at work had roped her into eating dinner with them, and being the perfect idol she was, she hadn't been able to turn them down. It was a regular occurrence, but he didn't fault her for it in the slightest.

"There's always next time," Yu assured her, and then he stepped away from her, gesturing to the couch in the main living area. "Why don't we sit down?"

Rise nodded once in response, and her expression turned bright. "Let's cuddle on the couch..." She all but pranced over to the piece of furniture in question, and Yu had to resist a laugh - her enthusiasm was _adorable._

Once he'd seated himself, Yu pulled Rise into his lap, and allowed her to drape her body across his. The position was _quite_ intimate, but he didn't mind at all - it was easier to bask in her radiant presence this way.

"How have you been?" Rise asked, as she nuzzled his shoulder. "Still getting used to living on your own?"

"Yeah..." Yu's thoughts turned back to what had been on his mind before her arrival. "It isn't easy. I've spent most of my time overthinking things."

"That's no good..." Rise gave a sympathetic hum. "Well, I can help distract you for tonight..." She paused, and lifted her head to look at him. "What's on your mind?"

Yu breathed a sigh. "...It hasn't even been that long since I left, and I already miss Inaba. I want to go back." That wasn't an option right now, as he had more important things to attend to, but that didn't stop the desire - it never did. "I talked with Yosuke earlier, and he said he misses me, too..."

"You have a strong attachment to that place, don't you?" Rise hummed again, closing her eyes briefly. "And your best friend, too... it's understandable that you'd feel that way." She opened her eyes again, meeting his gaze. "You'll be able to go back eventually, so just look forward to that time, alright?"

Looking forward to the future... that reminded Yu of _another_ thought that had crossed his mind. He knew that, on a logical level, he shouldn't be so worried - those two had faced challenges far greater than this before, and they were more than tough enough to survive it, but...

"...Minazuki texted me this morning," Yu said, after a short silence. "He told me they'd been hospitalized. Sho made a mistake, and..."

Rise's expression darkened. "...Yeah, I got a text from him too." It was clear that she hadn't wanted to think about that, her own concern overriding reason. "He told me that the injuries weren't life-threatening, but that he'd probably have to stay for a while..."

The missing detail in all this was where, exactly, the two had been taken. It seemed that Minazuki hadn't specified that fact to either of them, and that meant neither Yu nor Rise could pay him a visit - it was _just like him_ to try and tough it out alone.

"And that means Sho probably won't be out for a while." Yu recalled a certain incident from Sho's history that had left him with some _serious_ trauma regarding hospitals; Minazuki could take it, but... "I hope he's okay."

"He's asleep when Minazuki-kun is in control, right?" Rise attempted a reassuring smile, though Yu could tell that she'd had the same thought. "So long as he doesn't regain control while they're in the hospital..."

"Yeah, but Minazuki might not..." Yu considered another issue that had come up during Sho's visit to Inaba last year. "...I don't think he'd like maintaining control for that long. He'd think he was taking away Sho's free will."

"But if it's for Sho-kun's sake..." Rise shifted a bit, reaching into the pouch that she kept her cellphone in; she had claimed once that it was more convenient than carrying it in her purse. "Do you mind me texting him?"

Yu shook his head, understanding. "Go right ahead." He almost wanted to do the same, but he'd left his phone on the charger in his bedroom. "...And let him know I'm here, too."

"Will do." Rise pulled out her phone, and started typing away on it; out of habit, Yu looked away, not wanting to intrude on a private conversation. Even if it involved him, he refused to disturb their privacy - it was just how he was, though this time, it caused him more than a little trouble.

For one, his mind started to wander again when he heard the notification sound from Rise's phone. That meant the recipient had replied, and... what had he said? Was it Sho or Minazuki? Were they doing alright there?

Why hadn't Minazuki mentioned his location in his message that morning?

"Well... he's still out." Rise's words answered one of those questions - Minazuki hadn't yet retreated back into Sho's head. "Should I mention your concern?"

"Yeah..." Despite himself, Yu felt relieved; if Rise told him what was going on in the conversation, that would alleviate _some_ of his anxiety. His concern for Sho was still strong, but at the very least, if Minazuki maintained control, Sho wouldn't have to experience being in the hospital.

Rise sent another few messages, and Yu resisted the urge to look at the screen. Even if she told him what was going on, it would still be rude to peek-

"...That's rude." Rise looked back at Yu, slightly annoyed. "He just laughed at me when I asked him about Sho-kun." She returned her attention to her phone when she received another ping. "...He told me not to worry about it. He doesn't plan to give up control until they're out of the hospital."

That... didn't sound like Minazuki at all. Yes, he was _severely_ overprotective of his other half, and did everything he could to keep him out of danger - but Minazuki _also_ respected Sho's desire to be free, and even in a situation like this...

Well, in this case, it wasn't a _bad_ thing. There was no telling whether or not Minazuki had assumed control without Sho's permission, but in a situation where they needed to be hospitalized, an exception could be made.

"...I just hope Sho doesn't get too upset when he wakes up." Yu thought back to the reason Sho hated hospitals so much. "He might think that he fell into a coma again."

"You could say that he did," Rise pointed out. "...I'll mention that, too." She typed out another message on her phone, and waited for a response after sending it. It took quite a bit longer this time - and the notification sound almost startled Yu when he heard it.

"He plans to explain the situation to Sho-kun when he wakes up." Rise breathed a sigh of relief. "That should help a lot..." She paused, glancing over at Yu again, and a contemplative look crossed her face. "...Should I ask him where he is, so that we can go see him?"

Yu _wanted_ to say yes, but at the same time, he had a feeling that it wouldn't get them anywhere. If Minazuki hadn't mentioned the specific hospital he was staying at, there had to be a _reason_ for it - the odds were that his refusal to share the information had something to do with the mission that Sho had undertaken. If the Kirijo Group were tracking his cellphone, revealing his location could be dangerous for him.

"No," Yu answered her, shaking his head. "If he didn't tell us before, he probably wouldn't answer the question now." He hung his head. "...I want to see him too, but..."

"Yeah... I understand." Rise sent another brief message; this time, after the phone pinged, she tucked it back into its pouch. "He'll be okay - _they'll_ be okay. We just have to trust them."

Yu didn't say anything in response, and instead pulled Rise close to him with both arms. She returned the embrace, leaning against him as she relaxed into his touch; he could tell that she was still a little worried, but the conversation with Minazuki had somewhat eased her conscience. It was something they _needed_ \- all three of them.

All things considered, it was rather ironic that Yu placed his faith in Minazuki now. There had been a time when they were enemies, with Minazuki being Sho's accomplice in a scheme to bring about the end of the world; since then, the scarred boy's two halves had both changed dramatically, having realized the truth about themselves - and Yu couldn't be more proud of them for that.

"...Let's sleep together tonight," Yu offered, after an extended silence. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Rise shivered and nuzzled the side of Yu's neck, a delighted hum rising up from her. "It _has_ been a while... but, um, just to clarify, do you mean...?"

"Yeah." A faint smirk tugged at Yu's lips - when he was with her, he _rarely_ meant anything else. "Let's make this place _ours._ "

Another shiver went through Rise's body, and she gave a breathless giggle. "I can hardly wait, _Senpai..._ "

With the way she said it that time, Yu finally understood why Rise had continued to call him that - and a light blush spread across his face at the realization. He was in no position to complain, now.

After all, his name wasn't the _only_ thing he enjoyed hearing from her when they were together...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Details require too much research. I just want to write crappy fanfics.
> 
> I do have a couple more ideas for this 'verse, but we'll see if I actually write them. For now, have this!


End file.
